Peoria City Council defers sports complex and proposed apartment complex

The Peoria City Council Tuesday night tabled the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex and its economic development components. The Sports Complex, Hotel and special service areas proposed for the northern part of the city have repeatedly been deferred.

Fifth District Peoria City Councilman Casey Johnson represents that part of the city. He says the annexation agreement with the city put the property transaction closed deadline at June 30th and it didn’t happen until July 8th. “There was case law to support allowing an extension of that date. But I think from staff and the legal perspective it was something we just wanted it to be clean without any potential hang ups.”

Johnson says the developers didn’t want to invest in the construction plans until they owned the property. He says that will take about 60 days and there’s no reason to levy the taxes in the proposed special service area until the project is further along.

Johnson says it was better to table the project for the time being rather than to continue deferring it.

AND

Residents of Liberty Village chartered a bus to attend Tuesday night’s Peoria City Council Meeting. The 50 or so retirement village residents were there to show their opposition to the proposed Frye Crossing Apartments complex in Northwest Peoria.

The complex would be made up of five three-story apartment buildings. It would be located on the nearly four acres of land at West Landens Way and North Stalworth Drive behind Gander Mountain.

Bobbe Pickell is a Liberty Village resident. She says the proposed location for the fifth building of the complex would be right outside their back doors. “That would be a three story apartment building looming over our back yards. This is what we are asking them to remove. If they would reduce it four 12 unit apartment buildings, we would NOT then oppose rezoning.”

The council deferred the measure to the August 12th meeting. Fifth District Peoria City Councilman Casey Johnson represents that part of the city. He says the council deferred the vote to continue negotiations with the neighbors.